The 29-year-old, who also won a gold medal in the Yngling class at Athens, is due to make a surprise appearance alongside Saskia Clark in the women’s 470 event, replacing Pippa Wilson at this event. 
 
Ayton, who has taken time out to have a baby with Olympic windsurfer bronze medallist Nick Dempsey last June, but with Wilson having returned home for personal reasons, the opportunity emerged for Ayton to race in Miami with Clark.
 
A good performance could help persuade Ayton to focus on the London 2012 Olympics in the new class, following the controversial decision to drop the Yngling class.
 
She said: "It’s been a while, but I really enjoy sailing in Miami and it’ll be fun to race with Sas this week at an event which is all about learning and where there’s no pressure or expectation on me to deliver a result."

Dempsey, Ayton's husband, will also be competing, one of 45 British sailors across 12 classes who will be in action out in Biscayne Bay,

The Miami Regatta also kicks off the first full season of competition in the new Elliot 6m women’s match racing boats, with World Cup series winners Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Ally Martin looking to lead the way this week.
 
Macgregor and her team won bronze racing in Laser SB3s at last year’s Miami event, and although they are happy with their preparations in the Elliot 6m keelboats, they are not underestimating their competition.
 
Macgregor said: "It'll be quite interesting in terms of our rivals this week.
 
"A lot of people have been away now and spent a bit of time in the boats and have been getting used to them, so I don’t think anyone really knows who are going to be the ones to watch. 
 
"The Americans have been working really hard, as have the French and the Dutch, so I think it could be a really close regatta."
 
Britain’s Katie Archer, Nicky Muller and Lauren Martel will also compete in the women’s match racing event.
 
Luke Patience-Stuart Bithell and Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw can be confident in their form heading into the World Cup event, having just won warm-up regattas - the North American Championships - in their respective 470 and RS:X classes.


Related stories
February 2009: Ayton and Wilson reveal new challenge for 2012 Olympics
November 2008: End of the line for Britain's golden sailing girls after class dropped from 2012
November 2008: Mike Rowbottom on why Britain's golden girls are three blondes in a quandary
November 2008: Exclusive - British gold medal winning event thrown out of London 2012
August 2008: Ainslie becomes Britain's most successful sailor as Yngling team retain title